Wilgerbosdrift’s blue blooded sire Fire Away is from a red hot family, and his relatives have been firing on all cylinders of late.
The latest member of this family to impress is Palio Flag, a four-year-old daughter of Curlin. The latter made it win number three from just five starts when winning at Oaklawn Park on Thursday.
Victorious at first asking last July at Keeneland, Palio Flag was a close runner-up Aug. 9 at Saratoga and Sept. 24 at Churchill before gutting out an allowance score when last seen Nov. 14 in Louisville. Knocked down to 13-10 in this seasonal bow, an allowance optional claiming race over one mile , the $350,000 Keeneland September grad dropped in from her outside draw to travel in a ground-saving fourth behind a strong :22.86 quarter. Quickly catching up to the leaders as the pace moderated past a :47.35 half, the chestnut tipped three wide approaching the lane, poked her head in front at the sixteenth pole and edged away late to a half-length success.
Palio Flag is out of the G2 placed A.P. Indy mare Private Ensign (who also ranks as the dam of Monroe Stakes winner Great Sister Diane), and her fourth dam is unbeaten champion Personal Ensign.
The latter, North America’s Champion Older Female of 1988 and granddam of Fire Away, also ranks as the fourth dam of promising three-year-old filly Jouster, a winner of two of just three starts to date.
Fire Away, a son of outstanding sire War Front, won seven races including the G3 Dixie Stakes during a career which saw him bank over $600 000 in stakes.